What If You Could Choose to Work When You’re Most Productive?

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How many times have you heard someone sigh and say, “If only
there were more hours in a day…”?

You may even be guilty of uttering these words yourself; I know I
am. But what if the number of hours in a day wasn’t the issue?
Instead, what if it was the ways (and times) we’re choosing to
spend those precious 24 hours?

Last week, The Wall Street Journal posed an interesting
question: Could you pack more into each day if you did
everything at the optimal time?

Sue Shellenbarger, author of the article, examines a growing body
of research that suggests paying attention to the body clock can
pinpoint the times of day when we’re at our best.

It makes sense. For example, I know I’m most alert and creative
early in the morning, so I often wake up long before most people
to answer emails and write blog posts and freelance articles.
While it’s great that I’ve identified this specific time of day
as when I’m able to complete my best work, it also means that I’m dragging by
3 p.m.

Apparently I’m not the only one with this problem. The article
points to recent research out of Penn State University that shows
most people are easily distracted from noon to 4 p.m., which we
often attribute to the post-lunch slump. We’ve all been there,
right? That fuzzy feeling after a good mid-day meal when you’re
sitting at your desk but dreaming of your bed. Don’t worry.
That’s normal too; Circadian, a training and consulting firm,
found sleepiness tends to peak around 2 p.m., which makes it an
excellent time for a nap.

If only we could take that 2 p.m. nap or move that pesky
recurring conference call from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a time when most
“evening people” are beginning to peak. Of course, the
traditional nine-to-five job calls for employees to be seated at
their desks, working for those eight business hours. But
what if there was a way to schedule our work day around when
we’re at our personal best?

Think about it this way: if you allow your employees to work when
they‘re most alert and creative, they’ll certainly be more
satisfied with their jobs and in turn, their
work will likely improve, making your life easier.

Win-win, right?

What do YOU think? Could you pack more into your day if
you did everything at your optimal time?

Jessica
Lawlor is a public relations professional and freelance
writer in the Philadelphia area.

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